As much as any other fighter in the modern UFC era, Sonnen understood that if he kept talking, eventually people would listen. That’s often all it takes to get a couple headlines and maybe talk yourself into a big fight.

So it’s no surprise Sonnen has plenty of praise for Conor McGregor, the latest UFC fighter who seems to understand the art of never shutting up.

“When I watch people talk about Conor McGregor and say that he’s talking trash, they don’t understand what he’s doing and not listening to his interviews,” Sonnen told Bruce Buffer’s podcast. “Conor’s not talking trash. There’s some stuff getting thrown in there, sure. There are some guys he’s bringing down. He’s talking himself up. He’s not always insulting other guys, but a little of that happens. He’s out there entertaining. He has something to say.”

McGregor’s approach to the microphone is slightly less offensive than Sonnen’s. He doesn’t attack ethnic groups or countries, he generally just makes jokes and says he could beat whatever opponent he’s asked about.

He’s also just very, very funny. Fans enjoy listening to him talk, and given that MMA is simply entertainment for most people, it’s no surprise that he’s built such a loyal following by, you know, entertaining the masses.

“You’ll have these fighters that come out and say, ‘I’m not here to talk. I’m here to fight. I’m a fighter.’ Well, that’s not really true when you’re sitting there at a press conference wearing a suit,” Sonnen said. “You’re not there to fight; you are there to talk. That’s what a press conference is, genius. When you’re doing a post-fight interview with Joe Rogan, you’re not there to fight. You’re there to do the interview. That’s why he’s holding the microphone.

“Some of these guys just don’t understand it, and what Conor McGregor is more than he’s a great trash talker, he’s a great entertainer. The guy’s got a great gimmick, a unique look and a great accent. He’s patriotic to his country. He’s an Irishman.”

Sonnen did question whether McGregor was quite ready to be fighting for a championship, suggesting that he could use a little more seasoning before fighting for the 145-pound title.

SCHEDULE ON THE WAY

Is the UFC finally going to head back to Calgary and repay the city for the joke that was UFC 149? How is it going to repay Toronto for its longtime support after slapping the city in the face by moving the Jon Jones-Alexander Gustafsson fight to Las Vegas?

We’re finally going to get answers to some of our questions on Nov. 17, when the organization will reveal its 2015 schedule.

The announcement will be made at a fan event that is for some unknown reason called “The Time is Now,” and Canadian fans will no doubt have a lot to keep an eye on.

Our best bets? A pay-per-view in Toronto is a sure thing. The organization did the city’s fans an incredible disservice by moving the Jones fight to Vegas, even if injuries forced that fight to be postponed.

Toronto’s been good to the UFC, and the decision to move the fight to another city was akin to telling Canada’s biggest market that it wasn’t ready for the spotlight. I’m guessing the UFC will try to woo the city back with a Rory MacDonald title fight.

Also, the organization’s got to go back to Calgary and Montreal. Dana White repeated again and again at UFC 173 in Vancouver that they’d be back in Calgary in 2015, and Montreal has long been one of international MMA’s hot spots.